Oral health and pregnancy project offers educational videos, interviews with experts, and clear infographics

The Oral Health and Pregnancy portal, recently launched by the EFP in partnership with Oral-B, features a series of videos in which leading experts explain the importance of oral health during pregnancy.

The portal, which forms part of the EFP website, also offers attractive infographics to communicate key facts about women’s oral health and gum disease.

The video section of the portal contains educational videos that explain why oral health is important during pregnancy, what women need to know about their oral health, the hormonal changes that can trigger pregnancy gingivitis, and when is the right time to act over pregnancy gingivitis.

There are also interviews with some of the experts whose scientific research is at the heart of the Oral Health and Pregnancy project – Mariano Sanz, Filippo Graziani, and Elena Figuero – and with Anja Rist, professional and scientific relations manager for oral care in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Oral-B.

In his interview, Prof Sanz (who co-ordinated the project for the EFP) notes that “women’s oral health during pregnancy is very important, not only for its possible impact on delivery – and thus the possibility of preventing complications – but also for the oral health of pregnant women themselves.”

For Dr Rist, by raising awareness about oral health risks during pregnancy and offering simple solutions, “we hope to encourage more women to seek professional dental care and to improve their at-home oral health care while expecting.”

The infographics, with easy-to-read graphics that explain the often complex issues involved, cover women’s oral health during pregnancy and treating periodontal disease during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a crucial time in a woman’s life during which oral health is of fundamental importance, as periodontal disease has been linked to various pregnancy complications including preterm birth, low birth weight, and pre-eclampsia.

The Oral Health and Pregnancy project offers information and advice, based on the latest scientific evidence, to health professionals and patients across Europe.

The web portal provides a wealth of material about the links between periodontal disease and these adverse pregnancy outcomes, the care of teeth and gums during pregnancy, and the steps that should be taken by dentists, obstetricians, other health professionals, and by pregnant women themselves.